Not Applicable.
1. The Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates generally to devices for delivering beneficial agents into body cavities, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to devices for delivering medical agents into the ear canal.
2. Description of Related Art.
It is common practice to place medication into the ear canal of patients suffering from ear aches or infections. For example, children are often afflicted with otitis, or inflamation of the ear, which may be treated by placing medication into the ear canal. A common procedure for placing medication in the ear canal of children involves placing the medication into the ear canal using a dropper. Cotton is commonly placed in the child""s ear to help maintain the medication in place, since movement of the child may cause the medication to become displaced before it has a chance to take effect.
A drawback of this method is that since cotton is absorbent, it tends to absorb the medication and does not create a seal to maintain the medicine within the ear canal. To help remedy this problem, it is known to wet the cotton with a fluid such as water or the medication prior to inserting it into the ear canal. The wetted cotton is then less able to absorb the medication. However, placing fluid on the cotton is inconvenient and may tend to spread the fluid onto the child or surrounding area.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to provide alternate devices to assist in administering medication to the ear canal. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,737,953 (granted Mar. 13, 1956, to Wiltein) discloses a funnel shaped device having a pair of openings. The device is inserted into the ear canal and the medication is applied through one of the openings. The other opening serves as an air vent so that the medication can flow into the ear canal. The funnel shaped device is configured to create a plug to maintain the medication within the ear canal once it has been administered. The openings are required to be small so that the device can fit within the ear canal, and so that the openings prohibit the medication from flowing back out of the ear canal. However, it may be difficult to administer the medication through the opening due to the viscosity of the medication and the small size of the opening. Furthermore, since the medication is applied to the exterior of the device, the medication is likely to be spread if the user contacts the external portion of the device after the medication has been applied. Moreover, since the medication and the funnel device are separate elements that must be handled, administration of the medication is more cumbersome.
Another device for introducing medication into the ear canal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,196 (granted Oct. 7, 1997, to Donaldson et al.) This device includes an ear plug having a pair of conduits. A syringe is attached to one of the conduits to inject medication into the ear canal, and the other conduit serves as an air vent. A drawback of this device is that it requires the use of a syringe, which may not be available in some situations. Furthermore, the need for a syringe increases the cost and complexity of administering the medication.
The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present invention. The present invention minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide an ear plug medication administration device that is simple in design, manufacture, and use.
It is another advantage of the present invention to provide such an ear plug medication administration device that maintains the medication within the patient""s ear canal.
It is a further advantage of the present invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide an ear plug medication administration device that includes the medication within the device.
It is an additional advantage of the invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide an ear plug medication administration device that prevents the spread of the medication and other fluids.
The above advantages and others not specifically recited are realized in a specific illustrative embodiment of an ear plug medication administration device. The device preferably includes a soft resilient casing which can be compressed to fit at least partially within the ear canal. Once inserted in the ear canal, the casing expands to form a seal between the ear canal and the device. The soft casing preferably encapsulates the beneficial agent within a reservoir formed inside the soft casing. The device may include an impervious liner between the soft casing and the beneficial agent. As the device is squeezed, the beneficial agent is ejected through a release point. The device then retains the beneficial agent within the ear canal until the beneficial agent has had time to take effect. A cord may be attached to the device to facilitate removal from the ear canal.
Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention without undue experimentation. The advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.